Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device, and more particularly, to a display device including a side cover film for display, which reduces static electricity.
Discussion of the Related Art
To date, display devices such as liquid crystal display (LCD) devices, plasma display panels (PDPs), organic light emitting display (OLEDs) devices, and the like have been developed. The display devices each include a display panel for displaying an image and a driving circuit unit for driving the display panel.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for describing a related art display device.
Referring to FIG. 1, the related art display device includes a display panel 10, a driving circuit unit 30, and a front case 50. The display panel 10 adjusts a transmittance of light incident from each of a plurality of light sources to display a certain image. To this end, the display panel 10 includes a lower substrate 13 and an upper substrate 15.
Various signal lines (not shown) are arranged on the lower substrate 13, and a signal pad 17 is provided in an end of each of the signal lines.
The upper substrate 15 is formed smaller in size than the lower substrate 13 and is opposite-bonded to a portion other than the signal pad 17 of the lower substrate 13 with a liquid crystal layer therebetween. A color filter corresponding to each of a plurality of pixels is formed on the upper substrate 15, and depending on a driving type of the liquid crystal layer, a common electrode receiving a common voltage may be additionally formed on the upper substrate 15.
The driving circuit unit 30 is connected to the signal pad 17 to drive the display panel 10. The driving circuit unit 30 includes a flexible circuit film 31, a driving integrated circuit (IC) 33, and a data printed circuit board (PCB) 35.
The flexible circuit film 31 is adhered to a top of the signal pad 17 which is exposed. The driving IC 33 is adhered to a top of the flexible circuit film 31. The driving IC 33 may have a chip-on film (COF) structure.
The data PCB 35 applies various signals to the display panel 10 through the flexible circuit film 31. To this end, the data PCB 35 is directly connected to the flexible circuit film 31.
The front case 50 covers a front edge of the display panel 10 and the driving circuit unit 30. In the related art display device, since the front case 50 for surrounding the exposed signal pad 17 and the driving circuit unit 30 is provided, a bezel area of the display device is enlarged.
Moreover, in the related art display device, in order to prevent static electricity from occurring when driving the display device, the lower substrate 13 should be electrically connected to the upper substrate 15 by a connection electrode, and the lower substrate 13 should be electrically connected to the front case 50. For this reason, the bezel area of the display device is enlarged, and a process of forming an electrostatic discharge (ESD) structure is complicated, causing a reduction in productivity.
The above-described background is possessed by the inventor of the application for deriving the invention, or is technology information that has been acquired in deriving the invention. The above-described background is not necessarily known technology disclosed to the general public before the application of the invention.